Does your call center software support WhatsApp?
upgrow
Oct 6, 2023 | 6 mins read
Your company’s call center is one of the most important aspects of how you interact with your clientele. A call center representative is an ambassador. They engage with new and potential clients as well as offer support to faithful customers. The call center speaks for your organization, so your call center software must be up-to-date and secure. Over one-fifth of ransomware attacks originated with some form of social communication, making social platforms particularly vulnerable.
Many companies turn to WhatsApp and the WhatsApp Business app for this reason. What exactly is a WhatsApp call center, and how important is WhatsApp integration for your call center software?
Call center apps have various criteria they must meet, such as:
- Reliability. Customers should have the power to access your services at any time for any reason. Otherwise, you run the risk of losing potential clients or reducing loyalty from customers you already have.
- Security. Data security concerns plague businesses all over the world. Since phishing scams are by far the most likely to succeed in accessing sensitive data, communication platforms are particularly vulnerable.
- Speed. You never want to keep clients waiting with slow messages or poor customer service.
- Customization. A feature-rich platform provides your customers with the ability to customize their experience.
What is WhatsApp?
WhatsApp is a platform that offers various communication services and features for businesses. WhatsApp Messenger provides Android and iOS users the tools they need to send and receive messages and notifications, open chats, and so much more. Customers can access your services on their private phones or in the most popular browsers.
Origins of WhatsApp
WhatsApp was originally created by former Yahoo! staff members in 2009 and acquired by Facebook in 2014. Since then, its continued optimization and development have helped it thrive throughout the world.
WhatsApp users
WhatsApp users span nearly every demographic since they are in various countries all over the world and from a wide variety of age groups. WhatsApp is one of the most popular communication platforms in many countries and currently has over 2 billion users. The frequency with which users access the app makes it one of themost commonly used applications, providing an alternative to Facebook Messenger.
Other users include banks, digital food sales, airlines, and hotels, as well as various small businesses in multiple industries.
WhatsApp Business app
WhatsApp Business launched in 2018. While WhatsApp includes many useful features for the typical user, the WhatsApp Business app provides companies with additional services that help them assist their customers. Organizations that provide services through a WhatsApp account guarantee greater reliability based on the infrastructure of Facebook and WhatsApp’s excellent customer service.
WhatsApp pricing
A WhatsApp Messenger account is 100% free. The platform allows customers to use the internet connection or data of their device for messaging, including sending voice messages, without any additional costs.
While a WhatsApp Business account is also free, the WhatsApp Business API is only available through WhatsApp API partners. Initial setup costs money, and the amount will vary depending on the provider. Also, while the first 1000 conversations each month are free after that, WhatsApp charges companies for each conversation. Specific costs vary from one country to another, but you can find detailed pricing on the Conversations page.
WhatsApp users
Some of the most well-known businesses that use the WhatsApp Business app include:
- Uber. Uber uses WhatsApp to provide clients with a better experience throughout the world.
- Wish. WhatsApp allows Wish to give shoppers a clearer view of their orders during the buying process.
- Booking.com. This company uses WhatsApp for booking confirmations and much more
WhatsApp features
The platform provides features for both individual and business use.
Features for all users
Phone calls. WhatsApp even allows you to make international calls for free, not including any data costs. Since voice calls use your internet connection (VoIP) rather than your minutes, you can avoid minute charges as well. The only downside is that you need to enable browser cookies since it is a web-based service. WhatsApp users get a toll-free number they can use to make calls even from different countries. Your WhatsApp number is unique to your device, and while some people have managed to get one number to work on more than one device, it is impossible to have both devices use the same number simultaneously. This may be a feature that changes in the future, however.
Group and individual chat. You can do individual chat and messages for free, not including any data costs. WhatsApp lets you message without any additional SMS fees. Since you can chat or message up to 256 people at once, WhatsApp can meet requirements even for chatting with very large groups. The platform also allows you to adjust settings for notifications based on group name.
Video calls. Again, excluding data charges, video calls are completely free through WhatsApp. This includes international calls.
Voice messages. You can record a message at any time through the app and send it quickly to as many people as you want.
Web and desktop access. WhatsApp isn’t just a mobile app. You can download a desktop version or access the platform through the web. This guarantees universal access and gives your customers more ways to interact with your business. You can access the WhatsApp web app by scanning a code with your phone.
File sharing. Share documents with friends, customers, or colleagues through the document sharing feature, or use a built-in camera to take photos and videos. You can also upload files from your device to share. Since the share limit is 100 MB, you will be able to share most documents without worrying about file size.
WhatsApp does not stop there. Business owners have more to look forward to.
Features for WhatsApp Business call center
While the WhatsApp Business App is initially intended for small business use, the WhatsApp Business API extends capabilities for larger businesses and enterprises. The included features provide further opportunities for organizations to succeed.
The WhatsApp Business API (Application Programming Interface). Without the WhatsApp Business API, you cannot use multiple agents to respond to incoming WhatsApp messages – a very important feature for customer support centers with large teams. WhatsApp Customer Service helps you improve relationships with clients and automate various functions. You can share links, run ads, sell products, customize your clients’ experiences, and much more. You can integrate the API with your current systems, including your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. Facebook provides documentation for developers who want to unlock the full potential of the platform.
Quick replies and automated messaging. Custom quick messages allow you to resend the same response as many times as necessary, cutting down your response time. Your call center can increase efficiency by answering any common question or request with thoughtful, automatic messages.
Business profiles. You can create a complete profile to promote your business on WhatsApp and let customers or other companies know what you can do for them.
Categorization. Organize your contacts and contact lists with labels and categories to make messaging easier.
WhatsApp call center security and support
WhatsApp provides end-to-end encryption. As a secure messaging app, it provides features that let you share information without fear. All files, video calls, and messages are end-to-end encrypted. WhatsApp customer service provides additional information and helps customers concerned about problems or potential vulnerabilities.
Encryption is automatic. WhatsApp protects messages with a Signal encryption protocol prior to transfer. These messages are stored on the sending or receiving device (for example, your phone’s memory) instead of a WhatsApp server, lessening the risk of a data breach.
Additionally, WhatsApp alerts you to any message that is not encrypted on the receiving end so you can check whether or not your message is end-to-end encrypted.
However, payments cannot automatically be end-to-end encrypted, since financial institutions have to process the transactions.
Controls vary, but WhatsApp business support allows you to share any further security concerns. In the meantime, you can rely on the reputation of Facebook and the end-to-end encryption provided for every message.
For additional information, you can always look more closely at the privacy policies of both WhatsApp and Facebook. Potential changes to WhatsApp’s policies have some users concerned, so it is always worth becoming familiar with any privacy policies associated with your call center software.
Other controls offered include:
- Blocking unwanted contacts. Simply block businesses or users in any chats.
- Deleting contacts and phone numbers from your contact list. If you don’t want to receive messages and have no desire to retain contact information, you can delete them with ease.
- Facebook storage and security. In some cases, businesses may simply rely on Facebook to store messages and more. Since most trust Facebook’s privacy policies, this can be an excellent option.
Does your call center need WhatsApp?
Companies and individuals alike use WhatsApp. What are some of the top benefits of having a WhatsApp call center, and do you need to integrate this platform with your current apps?
Considering how popular WhatsApp is all over the world, you may be ready for a WhatsApp call center. But does your current call center software support WhatsApp?
- Browser usage. You can use WhatsApp as a messaging app in any of the popular browsers.
- Mobile usage. WhatsApp messenger allows you to wield the full power of WhatsApp on your personal phone.
- Integration. WhatsApp business support can help you integrate WhatsApp with many of your current apps and services.
- Secure chat history. The fact that WhatsApp doesn’t access your private chat history is a very important feature for some – all the more so in the case of business-related conversations. Each time your personal information or sensitive data about your processes spreads, you risk vulnerabilities. Minimizing vulnerabilities is one of the primary advantages of WhatsApp.
- Block spam and unwanted phone numbers. WhatsApp offers settings to block consumers or other businesses trying to cause problems for you or your business.
- Reach out to customers automatically. Call centers rely on representatives who stay busy meeting the needs of customers and potential clients. Some customers or clients inevitably fall through the cracks. Quick messages and automated messaging offers you a new level of engagement. You can promote your business with minimum effort, update your regular clients, and build loyalty.
Ozonetel communications and WhatsApp integration
You cannot underestimate the benefits of WhatsApp. One of your priorities should be to find call center software thatsupports WhatsApp integration. The best call center software has a native ability to integrate with WhatsApp.
Such call center software communicates greater trustworthiness to your customers. Chances are, many of your clients are already using WhatsApp. Even if your customers are not yet on the platform, people know and trust Facebook. Showing customers that your company relies on a secure messaging app offers peace of mind.
Additionally, integration with WhatsApp means you can handle a greater volume of messages and communication. WhatsApp Business gives you everything you need to succeed with your customers and grow as an organization.
Ozonetel allows you to integrate with WhatsApp and connect with clients worldwide. With the ability to handle more than 2 billion calls every year, Ozonetel can help you simplify and increase efficiency in your processes.
Ozonetel packs all the tools you could ever need to improve service levels within an affordable, easy-to-integrate, quick-to-set-up call center solution. Contact us to learn more.
